11 vying for seats on Lafourche Port Commission

Published: Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 8:45 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 8:45 p.m.

Voters in Fourchon's Ward 10 will decide whether to unseat five incumbents on the Greater Lafourche Port Commission when they head to the polls Nov. 6.

Facts

Correction

This story, which has since been corrected, previously cited one statement to the wrong candidate. Kris Gaudet, who is seeking Seat C, said he hopes to encourage liquid natural gas fueling stations to be built in Port Fourchon.

Seats A, B, C, G and I are being challenged for upcoming six-year terms running 2013-18. The seats do not represent geographic areas; all nine members represent the entire ward at the commission, the organization responsible for developing Port Fourchon and the South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport.

Ward 10 generally encompasses all of Lafourche Parish south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and is comprised of just under 12,200 voters, parish registrar officials said.

Incumbent, Harris “Chuckie” Cheramie Jr., 47, a Democrat, owns KAL Towing Inc. and has served two six-year terms on the commission. If re-elected, he will continue to encourage development in the area, he said.

“We have to make sure we have property to lease. … You don't just stop and say, ‘OK, we have no more land to develop.' It doesn't work like that,” Cheramie said. “You've got to continue to go to Washington and Baton Rouge to help us out.”

A multiplex building for first-responders, such as the Coast Guard and firefighters, that will soon be built at the port is a good example of this, Cheramie said.

The commission received a government grant for the building, and it put up the rest of the money, he said. Planners and architects are in the design phase now.

“We were pushing for it — the whole board — for the last couple of years,” he said. “You're creating jobs. You have to keep on pushing for infrastructure, to keep the economy going. That's always been my goal: to keep jobs in the area.”

Armojen “A.J.-Buddy” Cantrelle Jr., 51, an Independent, is the operations manager for Kevin Gros Offshore LLC in Larose, and this is his first time running for elected office, Cantrelle said.

Cantrelle, born and raised in Larose, spent 13 years captaining tugboats throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. east coast, Europe, West Africa, the east and west coasts of South America and Central America, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Trinidad, with 14 round-tip transits through the Panama Canal, Cantrelle said.

However, for the past two decades, he has overseen Gulf offshore operations for tugboat companies and Kevin Gros Offshore.

“My work throughout the Gulf and overseas has broadened my knowledge of port operations,” he said.

Cantrelle said he knows that ports have to diversify to be successful, and he plans to encourage diversification if elected.

“Fourchon has done well so far, but we also know what happens when there's a downturn or a moratorium. Things get bad,” Cantrelle said.

Port Fourchon should not rely wholly on the oil and gas industry, he said. He would encourage its development as a container terminal for general shipping and cargo.

If elected he will pursue the board's goal of creating an elevated La. 1 expressway to Leeville and encouraging the Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal.

Roy Gisclair, 84, a Democrat, is a retired construction contractor who serves on the South Lafourche Levee District board. He has been a commissioner on that board for 30 years, he said. He is also on the board of directors at the area Catholic community center.

The Golden Meadow native and Cut Off resident has attended all the Port Commission's meetings for the past 20 years, he said.

“I'm very familiar with what they're doing,” Gisclair said.

SEAT B — PERRY GISCLAIR AND JESSIE CHERAMIE

The Daily Comet was not able to reach Perry Gisclair or Jessie Cheramie for interviews.

Perry Gisclair, a Democrat from Cut Off, is the incumbent and has held the seat since September 2006.

Jessie Cheramie, also a Democrat, is from Golden Meadow.

SEAT C — JIMMY “T-JIM” LAFONT AND KRIS GAUDET

Incumbent Jimmy “T-Jim” Lafont, 58, a Democrat, is the vice president of the commission. He manages a boat company, is a member of the Lower Mississippi Safety Advisory Committee, the New Orleans Saints advisory board and the board for the Krewe of Neptune, and is a former oysterman. Having served two terms, he said he is proud of the amount of grant money the board has been awarded.

“In the last 12 years, we've gotten $60 million for port priority projects” from the state, Lafont said. “Out of that, we received $10 million in one year, the most we ever had in one year.”

The Port Commission also has $48 million saved in the bank, he said.

Challenger Kris Gaudet, 39, a Republican, owns Kris Gaudet Insurance & Financial Services Inc. He has been a commissioner on the Special Education District 1 board since March 2008. He also unsuccessfully ran for the District 8 Lafourche Parish Council seat in 2007.

“With my business education, my career as a financial professional and the experience of managing millions of dollars in investments and insurance premiums, I have the expertise to make sound decisions on complex issues,” Gaudet said. “My presence on the commission would broaden and enrich the knowledge base of the port.”

Gaudet, like Cantrelle, said he would encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal to encourage diversification.

Once the port is deeper, it will be accessible to larger ships and can be used for importing and exporting, he said.

“If we can have a port that's accessible for shipping and exporting, if we have another moratorium, that may put a damper on the oil services and production, but our shipping will still be maintained,” Gaudet said.

Gaudet said he also hopes to encourage Liquid Natural Gas to operate as a fueling station in Port Fourchon.

"There are vessels being built now that have that technology, that are operating on liquid natural gas, and we don't have fueling stations for them," Gaudet said.

Not having these fueling stations discourages those vessels from coming to the port, and having them would encourage their business, Gaudet said.

SEAT G — JOHN MELANCON JR. AND DIRK CALLAIS

Incumbent John Melancon Jr., 52, a Republican, won a special election last year and succeeded his father on the board after his death.

He's most proud of the completion and funding of the parallel taxiway at the airport, Melancon said.

If re-elected, like Cantrelle, he said he will continue to pursue the elevation of an La. 1 expressway to Leeville and encourage the Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal.

Like LaFont, he hopes to encourage Liquid Natural Gas to operate as a fueling station in Port Fourchon.

Challenger Dirk Callais, 44, a Republican from Cut Off, is a salesman with Swire Oilfield Services who formerly worked in the oilfield.

“Every generation of my family's lived down here, and the port is vital to my community,” Callais said. “I want to contribute to it in any way I can.”

Callais said his goals include re-opening Fouchon Beach for the public or encouraging plans to build a new beach with federal money.

He said he also wants to encourage recreation at the port through channels such as a public recreational dock.

“People who work down in Fourchon, who stay there seven days on, seven days off — they've got nothing to do,” Callais said.

He said he believes he's best qualified because of his experience.

“I think as far as the oilfield, I have a pretty fair amount of experience,” he said. “I've been in the oilfield most of my life. I've worked offshore, I've worked the docks. ... I talk to these guys on a regular basis, whether it's on the docks or in Houston, and I consider myself well-rounded.”

SEAT I — ERVIN “VIN” BRUCE AND ROBERT DANOS

Incumbent Ervin “Vin” Bruce, a Democrat and retired carpenter, has been a port commissioner for 14 years, he said.

Bruce also echoed others' goal to build an elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Leeville.

He hopes to “get our representatives to try to get money to start on this project. … We've been going back and forth to meet different people about this highway,” Bruce said. “It's a slow process.”

At 80 years old, Bruce said he hopes to be elected for another term but plans to retire after that.

“Some people might think I'm too old to handle this,” he said. “But I know I've still got my right mind.”

His challenger, Robert Danos, 51, a Democrat from Cut Off, is a maintenance worker at Crosby Tugs. This is his first bid for elected office, he said.

Danos hopes to improve traffic flow in and out of the port, create more docking space for boats and, like other board members and candidates, encourage the development of the elevated highway.

“I have an open mind, and I'm willing to work for the people. I don't have any special interests. I'm trying to help service the entire 10th Ward, as far as creating jobs,” he said, pointing to local supermarkets, stores, service stations and hair salons.

When the port does well, it creates a “trickle-down effect for everyone,” Danos said.

Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.

<p>Voters in Fourchon's Ward 10 will decide whether to unseat five incumbents on the Greater Lafourche Port Commission when they head to the polls Nov. 6.</p><p>Seats A, B, C, G and I are being challenged for upcoming six-year terms running 2013-18. The seats do not represent geographic areas; all nine members represent the entire ward at the commission, the organization responsible for developing Port Fourchon and the South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport.</p><p>Ward 10 generally encompasses all of Lafourche Parish south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and is comprised of just under 12,200 voters, parish registrar officials said.</p><p>Here is a look at the candidates:</p><p>SEAT A — HARRIS “CHUCKIE” CHERAMIE JR., ARMOJEN “A.J.-BUDDY” CANTRELLE JR. AND ROY GISCLAIR</p><p>Incumbent, Harris “Chuckie” Cheramie Jr., 47, a Democrat, owns KAL Towing Inc. and has served two six-year terms on the commission. If re-elected, he will continue to encourage development in the area, he said.</p><p>“We have to make sure we have property to lease. … You don't just stop and say, 'OK, we have no more land to develop.' It doesn't work like that,” Cheramie said. “You've got to continue to go to Washington and Baton Rouge to help us out.”</p><p>A multiplex building for first-responders, such as the Coast Guard and firefighters, that will soon be built at the port is a good example of this, Cheramie said.</p><p>The commission received a government grant for the building, and it put up the rest of the money, he said. Planners and architects are in the design phase now.</p><p>“We were pushing for it — the whole board — for the last couple of years,” he said. “You're creating jobs. You have to keep on pushing for infrastructure, to keep the economy going. That's always been my goal: to keep jobs in the area.”</p><p>Armojen “A.J.-Buddy” Cantrelle Jr., 51, an Independent, is the operations manager for Kevin Gros Offshore LLC in Larose, and this is his first time running for elected office, Cantrelle said.</p><p>Cantrelle, born and raised in Larose, spent 13 years captaining tugboats throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. east coast, Europe, West Africa, the east and west coasts of South America and Central America, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Trinidad, with 14 round-tip transits through the Panama Canal, Cantrelle said.</p><p>However, for the past two decades, he has overseen Gulf offshore operations for tugboat companies and Kevin Gros Offshore.</p><p>“My work throughout the Gulf and overseas has broadened my knowledge of port operations,” he said.</p><p>Cantrelle said he knows that ports have to diversify to be successful, and he plans to encourage diversification if elected.</p><p>“Fourchon has done well so far, but we also know what happens when there's a downturn or a moratorium. Things get bad,” Cantrelle said.</p><p>Port Fourchon should not rely wholly on the oil and gas industry, he said. He would encourage its development as a container terminal for general shipping and cargo.</p><p>If elected he will pursue the board's goal of creating an elevated La. 1 expressway to Leeville and encouraging the Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal.</p><p>Roy Gisclair, 84, a Democrat, is a retired construction contractor who serves on the South Lafourche Levee District board. He has been a commissioner on that board for 30 years, he said. He is also on the board of directors at the area Catholic community center.</p><p>The Golden Meadow native and Cut Off resident has attended all the Port Commission's meetings for the past 20 years, he said.</p><p>“I'm very familiar with what they're doing,” Gisclair said.</p><p>SEAT B — PERRY GISCLAIR AND JESSIE CHERAMIE</p><p>The Daily Comet was not able to reach Perry Gisclair or Jessie Cheramie for interviews.</p><p>Perry Gisclair, a Democrat from Cut Off, is the incumbent and has held the seat since September 2006.</p><p>Jessie Cheramie, also a Democrat, is from Golden Meadow.</p><p>SEAT C — JIMMY “T-JIM” LAFONT AND KRIS GAUDET</p><p>Incumbent Jimmy “T-Jim” Lafont, 58, a Democrat, is the vice president of the commission. He manages a boat company, is a member of the Lower Mississippi Safety Advisory Committee, the New Orleans Saints advisory board and the board for the Krewe of Neptune, and is a former oysterman. Having served two terms, he said he is proud of the amount of grant money the board has been awarded.</p><p>“In the last 12 years, we've gotten $60 million for port priority projects” from the state, Lafont said. “Out of that, we received $10 million in one year, the most we ever had in one year.”</p><p>The Port Commission also has $48 million saved in the bank, he said.</p><p>Challenger Kris Gaudet, 39, a Republican, owns Kris Gaudet Insurance & Financial Services Inc. He has been a commissioner on the Special Education District 1 board since March 2008. He also unsuccessfully ran for the District 8 Lafourche Parish Council seat in 2007.</p><p>“With my business education, my career as a financial professional and the experience of managing millions of dollars in investments and insurance premiums, I have the expertise to make sound decisions on complex issues,” Gaudet said. “My presence on the commission would broaden and enrich the knowledge base of the port.”</p><p>Gaudet, like Cantrelle, said he would encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal to encourage diversification.</p><p>Once the port is deeper, it will be accessible to larger ships and can be used for importing and exporting, he said.</p><p>“If we can have a port that's accessible for shipping and exporting, if we have another moratorium, that may put a damper on the oil services and production, but our shipping will still be maintained,” Gaudet said.</p><p>Gaudet said he also hopes to encourage Liquid Natural Gas to operate as a fueling station in Port Fourchon.</p><p>"There are vessels being built now that have that technology, that are operating on liquid natural gas, and we don't have fueling stations for them," Gaudet said.</p><p>Not having these fueling stations discourages those vessels from coming to the port, and having them would encourage their business, Gaudet said.</p><p>SEAT G — JOHN MELANCON JR. AND DIRK CALLAIS</p><p>Incumbent John Melancon Jr., 52, a Republican, won a special election last year and succeeded his father on the board after his death.</p><p>He's most proud of the completion and funding of the parallel taxiway at the airport, Melancon said.</p><p>If re-elected, like Cantrelle, he said he will continue to pursue the elevation of an La. 1 expressway to Leeville and encourage the Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Flotation Canal.</p><p>Like LaFont, he hopes to encourage Liquid Natural Gas to operate as a fueling station in Port Fourchon.</p><p>Challenger Dirk Callais, 44, a Republican from Cut Off, is a salesman with Swire Oilfield Services who formerly worked in the oilfield.</p><p>“Every generation of my family's lived down here, and the port is vital to my community,” Callais said. “I want to contribute to it in any way I can.”</p><p>Callais said his goals include re-opening Fouchon Beach for the public or encouraging plans to build a new beach with federal money.</p><p>He said he also wants to encourage recreation at the port through channels such as a public recreational dock.</p><p>“People who work down in Fourchon, who stay there seven days on, seven days off — they've got nothing to do,” Callais said.</p><p>He said he believes he's best qualified because of his experience.</p><p>“I think as far as the oilfield, I have a pretty fair amount of experience,” he said. “I've been in the oilfield most of my life. I've worked offshore, I've worked the docks. ... I talk to these guys on a regular basis, whether it's on the docks or in Houston, and I consider myself well-rounded.”</p><p>SEAT I — ERVIN “VIN” BRUCE AND ROBERT DANOS</p><p>Incumbent Ervin “Vin” Bruce, a Democrat and retired carpenter, has been a port commissioner for 14 years, he said.</p><p>Bruce also echoed others' goal to build an elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Leeville.</p><p>He hopes to “get our representatives to try to get money to start on this project. … We've been going back and forth to meet different people about this highway,” Bruce said. “It's a slow process.”</p><p>At 80 years old, Bruce said he hopes to be elected for another term but plans to retire after that.</p><p>“Some people might think I'm too old to handle this,” he said. “But I know I've still got my right mind.”</p><p>His challenger, Robert Danos, 51, a Democrat from Cut Off, is a maintenance worker at Crosby Tugs. This is his first bid for elected office, he said.</p><p>Danos hopes to improve traffic flow in and out of the port, create more docking space for boats and, like other board members and candidates, encourage the development of the elevated highway.</p><p>“I have an open mind, and I'm willing to work for the people. I don't have any special interests. I'm trying to help service the entire 10th Ward, as far as creating jobs,” he said, pointing to local supermarkets, stores, service stations and hair salons.</p><p>When the port does well, it creates a “trickle-down effect for everyone,” Danos said.</p><p>Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.</p>